Calendar of Events

Art Exhibit at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, Free and open to the public
Reception Fri Feb 17, 6-7:30 PM with artists' talks at 6:30 PM

Lisa Kurtz
I have made wall pieces out of clay since way back in graduate school. Before I made pottery, I painted, so I often think of these wall pieces as clay canvases or clay landscapes with texture. I also like to add mixed media to some of my wall pieces, such as driftwood, shells, and other found objects. All my clay wall art is wired on the back or mounted on wood and wired so that it hangs easily - just like a painting would. I also love to make clay wall pouches, which can hold water and be used as wall vases for flowers. I have worked with clay for over 40 years and fell in love with the fluid and impressionable characteristics of this wonderful medium in college. Rocks and water have always inspired me. I love the streams running through the mountains, and I also love the ocean. I am fascinated by the effect that water has on the earth and the calming effect water has on people. The textures and colors in water, sand, sea birds, shells, rocks, and marine creatures inform my work and my glazes. I mix up all my own glazes and am often tweaking them to highlight the textures that I put on my pieces. My goal is to infuse my work with the peaceful feelings that water worn rocks, landscape, and waves give to me and share those feelings with others through my art.

Kate McCullough
I began painting in watercolor about 20 years ago after a 35-year hiatus from art. Initially my studies at Villa Marie College and SUNY College at Buffalo included general design, art history and oil and acrylic painting. When I returned to painting, I decided that watercolor was a medium that I would like to explore. I immediately fell in love with it and I have not looked back. I started with courses with Marcia Goldenstein and Whitney Leland at UT and then moved on to workshops at Arrowmont with Don Lake and Sue Archer, Kanuga with Linda Baker and Don Andrews, Cheap Joe’s with Linda Kemp, three workshops with John Salminen and a couple with Paul Jackson. I presently teach a watercolor class at the Fountain City Art Center. I am the former president of the Knoxville Watercolor Society, a member of the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville, a signature member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society.

Gallery hours: Mon-Thu 9:30-4:30, Sun 9-1.
Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Gallery, 2931 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37918

Fountain City Art Center, 213 Hotel Ave, Knoxville, TN 37918. Hours: Tue-Thu 10 AM - 4 PM. Information: 865-357-2787, www.fountaincityartcenter.com

Fans of artist Tom Wegrzynowski can see oil paintings from both his “Lucky” series and his “Entertainment” series in a new exhibit at Pellissippi State Community College. “All for One or Whatever …” is the artist’s first exhibition that combines pieces from both his bodies of work, “a visual dialogue that presents new opportunities for finding meaning,” Wegrzynowski said in an artist statement for the show.

The new exhibit is on display through March 2 at the Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays or by special appointment. All exhibits in the Bagwell Gallery are free and open to the public.

A closing reception with the artist is scheduled for 3-4 p.m. Thursday, March 2.

Wegrzynowski is a full-time instructor of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 2006. He has exhibited his work regionally and nationally and won several awards including the Reese Museum Award in 2022 International FL3TCH3R Exhibit: Social & Politically Engaged Art, East Tennessee State University. Wegrzynowski’s exhibit at Pellissippi State includes 19 oil paintings from his “Lucky” series, which explores history, mythology and how mutable these structures are when placed in the service of power, as well as from his “Entertainment” series, which allows Wegrzynowski to paint in a faster, more spontaneous way. “The first Entertainment paintings, or ‘panels’ as I think of them, were each executed in one sitting, sometimes in as little as an hour,” Wegrzynowski explained, as opposed to the works in the “Lucky” series, which could take months or even years to complete. “Most of these images were taken from screen captures of television commercials or movies, creating fragments of meaning. As such, they create opportunities for a more expansive investigation of the space between representation and formal abstraction.”

Hardin Valley Campus of Pellissippi State: 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932. Bagwell Center Gallery hours: M-F 9-5 or by appointment. Information: 865-694-6405, www.pstcc.edu/arts

Featuring art by Richard Jolley, Tommie Rush, Andrew Saftel, Margaret Scanlan, Maggie Taylor, Kliszewski Glass, Jurgen Dopatka, and others!

Bennett, 5308 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919. Hours: M-Sa 10-5:30. Information: 865-584-6791, https://bennetthome.com/

Bob Stevens is the Art Guild’s Featured Artist for February 2023, and will be honored at the Fun and Wine Friday Reception on Friday, February 3 from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Plateau Creative Arts Center. The membership special exhibit for February is “Books We Love.” The public is invited to come to this free event and enjoy a glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, meet Bob and other artists, and view a wonderful variety of artwork. Light refreshments will also be served.

Originally from Illinois, Bob lived and worked in Atlanta, Georgia as an auditor, and later he went into computer programing and systems design. After retirement, Bob and his wife moved to Sparta, Tennessee to be closer to family. Bob always enjoyed doodling during meetings and his habit developed into drawing. After moving to Tennessee, he was drawing in a waiting room where he met artist, Eric Buechel. Eric invited him to one of his painting classes, and Bob has been painting ever since. Bob’s artwork features a wide variety of painting styles and subject matter, ranging from portraits to abstracts, still lifes to landscapes. He enjoys painting with acrylic, oils, air brush, glass and ink. Bob states, “I just like to put paint on stuff. Canvas, wood, glass, saw blades, ... My wife says I'm like the old lady who puts the hot sauce on everything.”

The artwork of Bob Stevens will be on display along with the members’ gallery artwork exhibit from February 3 through March 2. The Arts Center is open to the public Monday through Saturday during our winter hours which are from 10:00-2:00. All artwork in the gallery and in the Endless Possibilities Shop is available for purchase.

Art Guild at Fairfield Glade at the Plateau Creative Arts Center, 451 Lakeview Drive, Fairfield Glade, TN 38558. Information: 931-707-7249, www.artguildfairfieldglade.net

Awaken Coffee will host an opening reception for GCA Honor Students Friday, Feb. 3, from 6-8 pm.

The show includes work by Grace Christian Academy Honors students, Melanie Guyette, Stella Foreman, Peyton Williams and Grace Oliwa, who are instructed by artist Allison Meriwether. At the beginning of the year, students were guided to reflect on the words "authentic" and "authenticity" and how they relate to the concept. A selection of their artwork was chosen for display.

Please join us for some amazing art, light refreshments, and of course great coffee!

Awaken Coffee, 125 W Jackson Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902. Open daily. Information: 865-951-0427, www.instagram.com/awaken_coffee or www.facebook.com/awakencoffeeoldcity/

February 3, 5:00-9:00
The BSG studio artists present paintings, sculpture, mixed media and photography, flannel wear encouraged!

Broadway Studios and Gallery, 1127 Broadway St, Knoxville, TN 37917. Hours: By appointment, or when the "open" sign is illuminated. Information: 865-556-8676, www.BroadwayStudiosAndGallery.com and www.facebook.com/broadwaystudiosandgallery/

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from February 3-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Tinca Tinca. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

This new exhibition highlights creative works in woodturning by members of the Smoky Mountain Woodturners (SMWTS). Club members are from the East Tennessee region and range in skill level from professional woodturners to dedicated hobbyists. The display exhibits 28 selected pieces including segmented bowls, sculptures, and unique vases all showcasing woodturning expertise and the beauty of our region’s wood. The exhibition will also include the history of the SMWTS, educational outreach activities and charitable contributions the club makes locally. Membership is open to all interested woodworkers. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at Woodcraft of Knoxville (8023 Kingston Pike) and include demonstrations by local and nationally known experts in woodturning. www.smwts.org

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from February 3-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Tinca Tinca. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

After a hiatus from showing works, 2020 and the pandemic taught me the need to share my voice in what I have created in past years. These works surround ideas of consciousness versus the subconscious – the archetypes built into a collective or cultural memory. I do not mean them as nostalgic, though that inevitably comes to mind. They are dreamlike, blurred, off, somewhat like that nagging memory, that feeling from the past that can't quite be caught. I view the banal, the everyday. A fleeting sight of a tree. An old house looms up. Someone has just left a room. Crouching, hiding, action has taken place just outside the frame. These visual elements and chosen colors stand as symbols to evoke the hero's journey built into all of us: to make us examine our presence, here and now, or past, or future.

David Gorley is from Upper East Tennessee, and his works are biographical in nature: of himself as well as culturally through the visual language of the sites of this area. His works were created with a Diana camera, a plastic-bodied toy camera that uses 120 roll film and 35 mm film he picked up 20 years ago. As a tool, the visual phenomena created by its analog nature allow shadows to creep in, sunlight to burst forth and scenes to take on a blurred, dreamlike state. He frames vignettes with a nod to precious influencers and mentors such as Nancy Rexroth, William Eggleston, William Christenberry, Robert Frank and Walker Evans. www.davidgorley.com

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from February 3-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Tinca Tinca. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

(A.D.) Anthony Donaldson lives in Knoxville and is a Knoxville Area Transit bus driver. He intensely studied art in high school and continued taking classes in college. Donaldson expresses himself through art as a writer would express oneself in a book. He asks himself whether art imitates life or life imitates art, and he feels the answer is both.

My art practice and creativity have come easily over time. Thinking and imagination, letting one’s mind run free with thoughts flowing free on canvas, abstract in some creations. Sometimes I wonder if I went too far or deep, and the answer is, No. My God is deeper than infinity: Too high to go over, too low to go under, too wide to go around.

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from February 3-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Tinca Tinca. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

I have two objectives when I photograph. The first one is to tell a story through my work, helping everyone who sees my picture feel as if they are right there and part of the moment. I also want my images to evoke a pleasant memory or awaken a desire to see more of a particular place or time. Second, it is my desire to showcase our amazing world through my own, unique perspective.
God has provided a spectacular place for us to enjoy, and I want to inspire an appreciation of His creation.

After raising her family and enjoying a career in teaching and educational administration, Marcy Wielfaert wanted to pursue something that would both challenge her and provide an opportunity to be more creative. On a whim, she purchased a camera in 2015 to capture the beauty of her beloved Smoky Mountains. That same year, she and her husband began to travel, and she loved having a way of documenting their adventures to Ireland and Switzerland. She taught herself the basics of a Nikon DSLR camera, discovering she loved taking pictures and had a natural ability to compose a pleasing image. In 2019, she and her husband joined an artisan market in Cleveland, TN, from which arose her business, Marcy’s Photo Journey. She has garnered many awards for her photography and has shown locally including at the Knoxville airport and currently at The Shoppes at Grit & Grace Market (Cleveland) and in Painted Tree Boutiques (Knoxville). She is a member of the Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers and currently serves on its Board of Directors.

www.marcysphotography.com | https://www.facebook.com/marcys.photo.journey

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present five new exhibitions at the Emporium Center in downtown Knoxville from February 3-25, 2023. A free gathering with the artists will take place on Friday, February 3, from 5:00-9:00 PM and features live music inside the Emporium by Tinca Tinca. Most of the works will be for sale and may be purchased through the close of the exhibition by visiting in person or the online shop at www.knoxalliance.store.

The Arts & Culture Alliance is pleased to present its 17th annual National Juried Exhibition, a new exhibition featuring selected works from 46 artists throughout the region. The National Juried Exhibition was developed to provide a forum for artists to compete on a regional scale and display their highest quality work. The exhibition encompasses all styles and genres from both emerging and established artists working in a variety of media such as wood, photography, oil, glass, fiber, paper and more. Over $1,800 in cash awards will be announced at a brief awards ceremony at 5:30 PM on February 3.

Exhibiting artists include:
+ Nancy Stalls of Hopkinsville, KY
+ Ann J. Harwell of Wendell, NC
+ Jan Burleson of Athens, TN
+ Vickie Bradshaw of Cosby, TN
+ Chase Williamson of Franklin, TN
+ Alan Finch of Jacksboro, TN
+ Carla Taylor and Adam Jeffrey Trabold of Johnson City, TN
+ Lauren Adams, Susanne Bennett, Sandi Burdick, Bill Cook, Jr., Jurgen Dopatka, Vincent Drake, Andrew Godwin, Andrew Godwin, Hannah Hancock, Nina Harvey, Brian Horais, Gretchen Kaplan, Jeanne Kidd, Lisa Kurtz, David G. Liles, John Edwin May, Tom Owens, Lennie Robertson, Chris Rohwer, Pamela Salyer, Gayla D. Seale, Hanna Seggerman, Owen H. Weston, Judy Overholt Wheeler, and MaceyLou of Knoxville, TN
+ Barb Johnson of Lenoir City, TN
+ Lil Clinard and David Hardin of Loudon, TN
+ Bill Long of Morristown, TN
+ Ken Van Dyne of Norris, TN
+ Yvonne Dalschen, Anna Rykaczewska and Kelli L. Thompson of Oak Ridge, TN
+ Phil Savage of Powell, TN
+ Marty McConnaughey of Sharps Chapel, TN
+ Lynda Best and Judy Lavoie of Tellico Plains, TN
+ Kathleen Ann Janke of Townsend, TN
+ Laurie Drake of Sterling, VA

Juror’s statement: A gentle turn toward nature seemed to dominate these entries. A quiet (hushed but communicative) observation characterized the selected entries. The artist's relationship to the work seemed to have an ominous scale in their observation of the natural and artificial world. The selected pieces tacitly display an awareness of the threat to the world around us. Uncommon representation is another element used in the selection of entries. Although the selections reveal themes of evanescence, the exhibition displays artwork that undeniably draws you in and keeps you there. Several images selected continue to come back to me like pleasant visual earworms.

About the juror: Julie Jack is a Tenured Full-Professor of Art at Tennessee Wesleyan University, where she is Head of the Visual Arts Department, has been instrumental in developing the Art Curriculum, the Fine Arts Major, the Visual Arts Studios and the Muriel S. Mayfield Gallery of Art.

The exhibitions will be on display at the Emporium Center, 100 S. Gay Street, in downtown Knoxville. The Emporium is open to the public Monday-Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. For more information, please see www.knoxalliance.com or call (865) 523-7543.